Chapter 5
Jason stood so quickly his chair hit the wall.
“That is not possible.”
Melissa didn't blink.
“It is.”
“No.”
“You had a relationship with Lauren seven years ago.”
I looked at Jason.
His face gave him away.
“You knew her?”
He looked sick.
“Not as Lauren Carter.”
“Then what name?”
“Lauren Reed.”
My skin prickled.
“Before me?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Three months.”
I did the math.
We had met six and a half years ago.
Barely six months after his relationship with Lauren.
“You slept with your half-sister?”
Jason's face twisted in horror.
“I didn't know!”
Melissa spoke quickly.
“Neither did Lauren.”
“Robert knew,” I said.
She nodded.
Of course he did.
The room became unbearable.
Jason staggered toward the window.
I couldn't imagine discovering that an old girlfriend was your half-sister.
Then discovering she had your child.
Then realizing your own father knew.
“How did Robert allow that?” Rachel asked.
“He didn't know Jason and Lauren were dating until later,” Melissa said. “When he found out, he paid Lauren to leave town.”
Jason turned.
“She told me her mother was sick.”
“Robert gave her money and told her never to contact you again.”
“Did she know she was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Jason shut his eyes.
The room went silent.
I watched him process the existence of a six-year-old son.
A child older than Emma.
Older than our marriage.
A child he had never known.
I wanted to be angry at him.
But for once, this wasn't his lie.
Then another thought hit me.
“Robert switched the babies because he was trying to protect both of his grandchildren.”
Melissa nodded.
“Emma was biologically Lauren’s child.”
The words hurt.
Even though I already understood them.
“And Lily is mine.”
“Yes.”
“Robert gave Lauren my daughter because…”
“Because Lauren was threatening to tell Jason about Noah.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
Melissa looked ashamed.
“Robert made a deal with Lauren.”
Jason turned around.
“What deal?”
“He would keep helping her financially. He would protect her from prosecution. And later, when she gave birth again, he promised her baby would be raised somewhere safe.”
Jason's face twisted.
“By me?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then by whom?”
“You and Sarah.”
I felt nauseated.
“He planned this?”
“Not from the beginning. But after Lauren became pregnant with Emma’s biological mother—”
She stopped.
The relationships were becoming impossible even to say aloud.
“Lauren became pregnant by someone else,” Melissa corrected. “The father disappeared. She was using again. Robert believed the baby would be taken away.”
“So he decided to put her baby in my arms.”
“Yes.”
“And put mine in hers.”
“He thought your biological child would give Lauren a reason to stay clean.”
My hand flew to my mouth.
“That is insane.”
“Yes.”
“He used newborn babies like medication.”
Melissa wiped her eyes.
“He believed he was fixing everyone.”
Jason whispered, “That sounds like him.”
I looked at him sharply.
“He always believed he knew what was best,” Jason said. “For everyone.”
I thought about Diane.
Suddenly I understood how two people like them had stayed married for thirty-five years.
Control disguised as love.
Cruelty disguised as protection.
“Where is Lauren?” I asked again.
Melissa finally gave me the address.
Jason stared at it.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“Sarah.”
“No.”
“She has my son.”
“And my daughter.”
“Exactly.”
I stood.
“That doesn't mean we're walking into her home together in the middle of the night and destroying three children.”
He looked stunned.
Three children.
Emma.
Lily.
Noah.
Every adult in this story had been lying.
Those children were the only innocent people left.
“We do this carefully,” I said.
“With police?”
“With lawyers. DNA tests. Child psychologists. Whatever it takes.”
Jason stared at me.
“You sound like you already know what you want.”
“I know what I don't want.”
“What?”
“I don't want Emma waking tomorrow thinking I abandoned her because someone told me she doesn't have my DNA.”
His face softened.
“And I don't want some woman ripping Lily away from the only mother she knows because biology suddenly came knocking.”
Rachel nodded.
“Good.”
Jason sank into his chair.
“So what do we do?”
“First, we prove it.”
The next morning, we went to a private laboratory.
Jason.
Emma.
Me.
Three cheek swabs.
Three identities about to change.
Emma thought it was funny.
“That tickles.”
I smiled.
“It does.”
“Are we getting ice cream after?”
“Yes.”
“Can Daddy come?”
I looked at Jason.
He stood across the room.
He looked exhausted.
I wanted to say no.
But Emma had already lost too much in twenty-four hours.
“Yes.”
She grinned.
Jason looked relieved.
The technician told us results could be expedited.
Forty-eight hours.
Forty-eight hours felt like forty-eight years.
We spent the rest of the morning with an attorney.
Then another attorney.
Family law.
Criminal law.
We told them everything.
The second attorney stopped us halfway through.
“You need federal authorities involved.”
Jason frowned.
“Why federal?”
“Potential kidnapping, falsified medical records, insurance fraud, identity manipulation, crossing state lines…”
I stopped hearing.
Kidnapping.
The word made my stomach turn.
Because legally, emotionally, morally, I didn't know who had been kidnapped from whom.
We contacted investigators.
By afternoon, police were searching for Robert and Diane.
Their house was empty.
Two suitcases gone.
Cash missing from a safe.
They had planned for something like this.
Maybe for years.
Emma stayed with Rachel while Jason and I spoke to detectives.
At five in the afternoon, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A woman's voice.
“Is this Sarah?”
I knew instantly.
Lauren.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then she whispered, “You shouldn't be looking for me.”
My hands trembled.
“You have my daughter.”
“And you have mine.”
Everything stopped.
Neither of us spoke.
Finally I said, “Is Lily safe?”
Lauren began crying.
“She’s my daughter.”
“I asked if she’s safe.”
“Yes.”
“Healthy?”
“Yes.”
“Happy?”
A longer pause.
“Yes.”
My eyes burned.
“Does she like pancakes?”
Lauren sounded confused.
“What?”
“Pancakes. Does she like them?”
“Yes.”
“With blueberries?”
“She hates blueberries.”
A laugh escaped me through tears.
“So do I.”
Lauren started crying harder.
“Please don't take her.”
I closed my eyes.
Somewhere, this woman was living the exact nightmare I was.
“I’m not coming to your house.”
“Robert said you would.”
“Robert lies.”
“He said you'd use money and lawyers and take Lily away.”
“Robert switched our babies.”
“He saved Emma.”
I stiffened.
“What did you say?”
Lauren went quiet.
“He saved my baby.”
“By stealing mine?”
“I didn't know at first.”
“But you know now.”
“Yes.”
“And you still stayed silent.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then help me understand.”
She breathed shakily.
“Emma was sick.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“When she was born. There was something wrong.”
“That isn't true.”
“It is.”
“Melissa said she was healthy.”
“Melissa didn't know.”
I gripped the phone.
“What was wrong with her?”
“I don't know everything. Robert said there was a genetic issue.”
“Which one?”
“I don't know.”
“Then why are you saying she was sick?”
“Because Robert told me.”
I almost screamed.
“You believe the man who switched newborns?”
“He paid for specialists.”
“For Emma?”
“No.”
Silence.
“For Lily.”
I felt cold.
“Why?”
“Because he thought she might have the same condition.”
“What condition?”
“I told you, I don't know!”
“Then send me medical records.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“They're with Robert.”
Of course.
Always Robert.
Then I heard a child in the background.
“Mommy?”
My entire body went still.
A little girl's voice.
Lauren whispered, “One second, sweetheart.”
My biological daughter.
Four years old.
Close enough for me to hear.
I pressed a hand against my mouth.
Lily said something I couldn't understand.
Lauren answered softly.
“I’m talking to a friend.”
A friend.
I was crying silently now.
“Lauren.”
“Yes?”
“Can I hear her again?”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“I’m not asking you to tell her who I am.”
Lauren's voice broke.
“I can't.”
I understood.
And hated it.
Then a boy spoke in the background.
“Mom, there’s a car outside.”
Lauren stopped breathing.
“What car?”
“A black one.”
I heard movement.
A curtain.
Then Lauren whispered, “Oh God.”
“What?”
“It’s Robert.”
I stood so quickly I knocked over my chair.
“Call police.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“He’ll take the kids.”
“Lauren, call the police!”
“I have a warrant.”
“I don't care!”
“I do!”
A pounding noise hit the phone.
Children screamed.
My blood turned to ice.
“Lauren!”
Robert shouted from somewhere nearby.
“OPEN THE DOOR.”
Lauren whispered, “He said this would happen.”
“What?”
“If you found out.”
“Found out what?”
“He said he'd move us.”
“To where?”
“I don't know.”
The pounding became louder.
Then a window shattered.
Lily screamed.
I heard Lauren shout.
The phone fell.
I yelled her name.
No answer.
Then Robert’s voice came through.
Calm.
Terrifying.
“Sarah.”
I froze.
“I know you're listening.”
“You stay away from those children.”
He laughed softly.
“You still think they're yours.”
“They are.”
“All of them?”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
He lowered his voice.
May you like
“Ask your husband why the DNA test is going to surprise you.”
Then the line disconnected.
